The present invention relates to a developing device frame, a process cartridge and an electrophotographic image forming apparatus usable with the process cartridge.
Here, the electrophotographic image forming apparatus means an apparatus which forms images on recording medium, using an electrophotographic image forming process. It includes an electrophotographic copying machine, an electrophotographic printer (for example, LED printer, laser beam printer), an electrophotographic facsimile machine, an electrophotographic word processor, and the like.
The process cartridge means a cartridge having as a unit an electrophotographic photosensitive member, and charging means, developing means and cleaning means, which is detachably mountable to a main assembly of an image forming apparatus. It may include as a unit an electrophotographic photosensitive member and at least one of charging means, developing means and cleaning means. It may include as a unit developing means and an electrophotographic photosensitive member.
An image forming apparatus using electrophotographic process is known which is used with the process cartridge. This is advantageous in that the maintenance operation can be, in effect, carried out by the users thereof without expert service persons, and therefore, the operativity can be remarkably improved. Therefore, this type is now widely used.
The process cartridge is constituted by a cleaning unit having integral charging means, cleaning means and photosensitive drum, and a developing unit having integral developing means and toner container for supplying toner to the developing means. The process cartridge is provided by coupling the cleaning unit and the developing unit with a-coupling member.
Here, the developing unit comprises a toner frame for accommodating the toner to be supplied to the developing means, and a developing device frame for supporting the developing means. The toner frame and the developing device frame are unified by ultrasonic welding or the like.
To the developing frame, developing roller and developing blade for charging the toner on the developing roller, which are extended in the longitudinal direction, are mounted.
It is desired to mount the parts to the developing device frame efficiently.
Thus, the present invention was made to further develop the aforementioned art.
Accordingly, it is a principal object of the present invention to provide a developing frame process cartridge and an electrophotographic image forming apparatus wherein parts are efficiently mounted to a developing frame.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a developing frame, process cartridge and an electrophotographic image forming apparatus, which are easy to assemble.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a developing device frame, process cartridge and electrophotographic image forming apparatus, wherein an antenna member is mountable to produce an electric signal to be transmitted to detecting means provided in the main assembly of the electrophotographic image forming apparatus in order to notify the mounting of the process cartridge to the main assembly of the electrophotographic image forming apparatus.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a developing device frame, process cartridge and an electrophotographic image forming apparatus, which has a gear mounting portion for mounting a gear for transmitting, to the stirring member, driving force for rotating a stirring member, wherein the gear mounting portion is mounted in the same side where an extension discharging portion of the antenna member mounted to the antenna member mounting portion is located, in the longitudinal direction of the developing device frame.
These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent upon a consideration of the following description of the preferred embodiments of the present invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.